I saw an interview with Doyle Bramhall II, who played back-up for EC for several years and has a pretty massive pedalboard.
He said the first night Eric walk up to his board, looked it over, and said, "The first night you miss a note from stumbling over this pedalboard it's off the stage..."

No pressure... !!!

Learning Guitar is not a matter of life or death, it is much more important than that!

I plugged straight into my amp last week at a Jam & a bloke from the house band was astonished that I go straight into the amp with no effects pedals. Mate its a Fender guitar into a Fender Amp what else would I need?

The bloke I play with, plays a Gibson E335 and runs his signal through a Boss 59 Bassman pedal so his amp sounds like a Fender amp. I just tell him get a Strat & Fender amp & you can throw the pedals, amp & the silly looking red guitar down the tip (refuse dump).

Learning Guitar is not a matter of life or death, it is much more important than that!

I plugged straight into my amp last week at a Jam & a bloke from the house band was astonished that I go straight into the amp with no effects pedals. Mate its a Fender guitar into a Fender Amp what else would I need?

The bloke I play with, plays a Gibson E335 and runs his signal through a Boss 59 Bassman pedal so his amp sounds like a Fender amp. I just tell him get a Strat & Fender amp & you can throw the pedals, amp & the silly looking red guitar down the tip (refuse dump).

Sorry Slug, but Any Strat you have would go in the tip before that Gibi ES335 would.....

Agree that a Strat into a Fender tube amp (with verb and tremolo) is all you really need.....though a little kick from a OD pedal for blues or rock is helpful....try a liquid blues between your Strat and your amp one of these days and think you will be in love.....